Family

Issues

Stage Details

Legislation -
Bill Sent To Committee
(Senate)
-
Jan. 27, 2006

Legislation -
Bill Passed
(House)
(239-182) -
Dec. 16, 2005(Key vote)

Title: Border Security Bill

Vote Result

Yea Votes

Nay Votes

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that addresses illegal immigration and strengthens border security.

Highlights:

Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to take over operations to maintain and control U.S. borders by upgrading surveillance technology, hiring and training more Border Patrol agents, improving border infrastructure, and deploying more U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel along areas of high immigration entrance within 18 months of enactment (Sec. 101).

Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to report to Congress the progress of controlling and maintaining U.S. land and maritime borders within one year of enactment (Sec. 101).

Includes "repeated attempts to enter the country illegally" in the definition of an aggravated felony (Sec. 201).

$250 million annually for state and local police agencies for their assistance in enforcing new immigration laws (Sec. 222).

$650 million from 2007 through 2011 for the Institutional Removal Program which ensures that "removable criminals aliens" in prison are removed from the U.S. and not released into communities following the completion of their prison sentence (Sec. 223).

$1 billion annually for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (Sec. 224).

Requires the detention of any undocumented immigrant attempting to enter the country after October 1, 2006, until deportation or final decision granting admissions to the U.S. (Sec. 401).

Creates the Office of Air and Marine Operations to prevent individuals attempting to enter U.S. airspace or waters for the purpose of transporting drugs, human trafficking, and terrorist activities (Sec. 502).

Establishes an employment eligibility verification system which requires employers to verify the legal status of each employee or face a penalty for withholding employee information (Sec. 701).

Sets a civil penalty for employers of $5,000 to $7,500 per undocumented immigrant for failure to comply with requirements of the employment eligibility verification system (Sec. 706).

Requires the construction of approximately 700 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexican border (Sec. 1002).

Ends the Diversity Immigrant Program which randomly selects and grants green cards to individuals awaiting entry into the U.S. (Sec. 1102).